E2EPF-UCP (E2 Endemic pemphigus foliaceus ubiquitin carrier protein, thereinafter ‘UCP’) was first isolated from a human keratinocyte and was identified as a member of the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme family. This protein is functioning as an E2 ubiquitin carrier of E3 ubiquitin ligase in vitro and UCP alone exhibits E3 ubiquitin ligase activity with inducing auto/multiubiquitination (Liu Z. et al., JBC 267, 15829-15835, 1992; Liu Z. et al., JBC 271, 2817-2822, 1996; Baboshina O V and Haas A L., JBC 271, 2823-2831, 1996). In addition, the nucleotide sequence of UCP has been known as a prognostic factor for breast cancer (Mutter G L and Baak J P A., J Clin Pathol. 58 (1):1-6, 2005; U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,204), which has been confirmed to be over-expressed 5 times higher in various cancer tissues including ovarian cancer tissues than in normal tissues (Welsh J B et al., PNAS USA 98, 1176-81, 2001; Wagner K W, Oncogene 23, 6621-6629, 2004). However, the substrate specificity, intracellular functions and the involvement of UCP in tumorigenesis, tumor progression, metastasis and angiogenesis still remain unexplained.
The mutation of a tumor suppressor gene VHL (von-Hippel-Lindau) is closely related to the development of kidney cancer and hemangioblastoma in central nervous system and retina (Kaelin W G Jr., Nat Rev Cancer 2, 673-682, 2002; Curr Opi Gen Dev 13, 56-60, 2003; Trends Mol Med 10, 146-149, 2004; Trends Mol Med 10, 466-472, 2004). The over-expression of VHL in cancer cells inhibits tumor progression (Gene Ther 10, 2081-2089, 2003). VHL forms a multiple complex together with Elongin B and C, Rbx1 and Cullin 2, and then exhibits E3 ubiquitin ligase activity (Nat Rev Cancer 2, 673-682, 2002; Curr Opi Gen Dev 13, 56-60, 2003; Trends Mol Med 10, 146-149, 2004; Trends Mol Med 10, 466-472, 2004). That is, VHL functions as the substrate-recognition module of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex composed of Elongin B and C, Rbx1 and Cullin2 (Nat Rev Cancer 2, 673-682, 2002; Curr Opi Gen Dev 13, 56-60, 2003; Trends Mol Med 10, 146-149, 2004; Trends Mol Med 10, 466-472, 2004). The famous VHL E3 ubiquitin ligase substrates are HIF1α and HIF2α, which are hydroxylated by a proline hydroxylase in the presence of oxygen and then hydroxylated HIFα is bound to VHL and ubiquitinated by VHL E3 ubiquitin ligase, followed by degradation by 26S proteasome (Nat Rev Cancer 2, 673-682, 2002; Curr Opi Gen Dev 13, 56-60, 2003; Trends Mol Med 10, 146-149, 2004; Trends Mol Med 10, 466-472, 2004). By binding with HIF1β, HIF1α or HIF2α acts as HIF1 or HIF2 transcription factor to maintain oxygen-dependent cellular homeostasis. HIF1α or HIF2α is stabilized under hypoxia, under which HIFα is not hydroxylated so that it is not ubiquitinated by VHL E3 ubiquitin ligase. HIF1 or HIF2 activates transcription of such genes as VEGF, angiopoietin 2, erythropoietin, and GLUT1 (Nat Med 9, 677-684, 2003). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a crucial factor involved in angiogenesis (Nat 359, 843-845, 1992; Nat 359, 845-848, 1992). Oxygen and nutrition need to be supplied to cancer cells by blood vessels. The HIF-VEGF pathway is closely associated with tumor progression, metastasis and angiogenesis (PNAS USA 94, 8104-8109, 1997; Can Res 60, 4010-4015, 2000) and in fact HIFα and VEGF are molecular targets for the development of an anticancer agent (Ophthalmology 109, 1745-1751, 2002). In fact, VEGF inhibitor is now being used as anticancer drug (ex. Avastin) (Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 21, 15, 2002).
In parallel with the attempt to develop a VEGF inhibitor as an anticancer agent, study to treat vascular disorders such as ischemic diseases by using the VEGF gene is undergoing. Ischemic diseases include cardiovascular disease caused by the interruption of bloodstream are exemplified by myocardial ischemia and peripheral vascular disease. To make the bloodstream run smoothly, VEGF gene inducing angiogenesis has been tried to treat the above ischemic diseases (Yla-Herttuala S and Alitalo K. Nat. Med. 9 (6):694-701, 2003; Khan T A et al., Gene Ther. 10 (4):285-91, 2003) and VEGF gene transfer has actually induced angiogenesis in an animal model (Leung D W et al., Science 8; 246 (4935):1306-9, 1989; Dvorak H F et al., Am J. Pathol. 146 (5):1029-39, 1995). The effect of adenoviral vector encoding VEGF (Ad.VEGF) was examined in ischemic myocardium and muscle models, and the result confirmed that angiogenesis was clearly detected (Mkinen K et al., Mol. Ther. 6, 127-133, 2002). Particularly, when VEGF had been expressed in an animal model for 4 weeks, the induced angiogenesis did not vanish and rather the functions of tissues were improved even after the VEGF expression was terminated (Dor Y et al., EMBO J. 21, 1939-1947, 2002). The Ad.VEGF vector has been tested for the possibility of using as a therapeutic agent for coronary occlusion and peripheral deficiency in clinical phase 1-3 (Maekimen K et al., Mol Ther 6, 127-133, 2002; Stewart D J et al. Circulation 106, 23-26, 2002; Rajagopalan S et al., J Am Coll Cardil 41, 1604, 2003) and adenoviral vector encoding HIF1α has been also tested for the possibility of using as a therapeutic agent for myocardial ischemia in clinical phase 1 (Vincent K A et al., Circulation 102, 2255-2261, 2000). Although such clinical trials for the treatment of ischemic diseases by gene therapy using HIF-1α or VEGF gene have been undergoing, the underlying mechanisms of angiogenesis promotion by increasing VEGF expression induced by UCP mediated HIF-1α stabilization have not been explained, yet.
There are patent documents describing a method for inhibiting a gene involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis; International Patent Publication No. WO 2003/029292 describes a method for treating cancer by providing a peptide or its functional analogue to cells for targeting the cancer, International Patent Publication No. WO 1998/18480 describes a nucleic acid ligand inhibiting tumor growth by binding to VEGF, and International Patent Publication No. WO 98/45331 describes the inhibition mechanism of VEGF function by using an anti-VEGF antibody. However, the above methods are not much efficient. Thus, a more efficient novel method for regulating a tumor has to be developed. Korean Patent Publication No. 2005-0012082 describes a method for recovering the functions of aged cells by using siRNA. International Patent Publication No. WO 2003/006477 and No. WO 2004/015107 describe a method to inactivate a gene by using siRNA, but specific anticancer activity of siRNA has not been explained therein.
Thus, the present inventors experimentally proved that UCP binds specifically to VHL, UCP over-expression results in ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation of a tumor suppressor VHL, and thereby HIF-1α is stabilized and VEGF expression is increased. The present inventors further examined the functions of UCP involved in tumor growth and metastasis by using siRNA that specifically inhibits UCP expression and as a result confirmed that UCP depletion resulted in anticancer effect and antimetastasis-effect in a mouse model. The present inventors also confirmed that UCP increases the expression of angiogenic factors including VEGF, VEGF level is high in UCP over-expressing cell culture media and the increased HUVEC (human umbilical vascular endothelia cell) proliferation in the presence of the culture media provides a clue for gene therapy for ischemic vascular diseases.